"I WAS going to do my homework but then my friend's chimney collapsed." As excuses go this was on a par with those mythical cats of yesteryear that vomited over your fractions. Simon, the personal trainer raised a wry eyebrow. Last week he had set a series of fitness tasks. Nothing too arduous, just 10 minutes of exercise a day at home plus a run. I completed the indoor stuff - sit ups, arm circling and hamstring stretches. Well almost every day. But not the run. In the words of the sadly defunct Irish girl group Bew*tched, Blame It On The Weatherman.

"I was going to go for a run with my friends but then the gales came," I puffed mid warm up on the exercise bike. "It was terrible. A dead bird came down my friend's chimney. And I had to deal with it because I've got cats you see. So I'm used to coping with dead birds." It's always a mistake to elaborate excuses. Simon didn't quite see the link between a deceased crow and the skiving of a circuit. But he had a solution. "Don't leave the run until the end of the week. That way, if an emergency crops up you have another chance."

This week, was leg-work. Since teenage years, whenever I wear shorts, my older brothers have a stock phrase, "The last time I saw legs like that they were hanging out of a nest" (Or perhaps a friend's fireplace). The ankles are still scrawny but a wobble has developed in the inner thigh area. So we begin with a spot of chorus line high kicks, just knees first before putting the boot in Bruce Lee-style with full leg swings. Then it's on to lunges. Holding a medicine ball aloft with straight arms I adopt a down-on-one knee position - with the knee just hovering above the floor. Twisting from the waist, the leg position has to be kept still while I slowly swing the ball from right to left. My leg and stomach muscles quiver with the effort, as balance and strength are put to the test for what feels an eternity. For two days afterwards, I'm hobbling with stiffness. I'll do my homework this week - whatever comes down the chimney.

Next week: Can I stomach 60 ab-crunches?

The Train Station is a fitness centre that specialises in one-to-one training. For more information ring 029 20383121.